Canon Canonet 19 RF Clean & Adjust

<p>well, i was distracted by my new nikkormat and the canonet’s been on the the shelf for a few weeks but i picked it up tonight for maintenance.<br>

<br /> <br /> the viewfinder has been off since i purchased it. the rf patch appeared below whatever the rest of the finder was pointed at making focus rather confusing. i also didn’t agree with the focus of the rf. so i had every intention of sorting this out upon buying it.<br>

<br /> <br /> i found the canonet exceptionally easy to work on. not as easy to adjust the rf as a nice interchangable lens rf like the leica mount canon’s but very nice for this category of camera. just three tiny screws and the top plate lifted off easily. with a cold shoe there were no wires to the top plate and the winder ad rewind located on the bottom plate, there’s nothing obstructing top plate removal. not even the shutter release. VERY nice canon!<br>

<br /> <br /> <img src="http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs111.snc1/4815_96497088977_638133977_2061393_757483_n.jpg" alt="" /><br /> <br /> inside things are also very much uncluttered. on one side the rangefinder assembly, beside that the meter assembly, next to that the frame counter and shutter release. the shutter release and cocking mechanism also runs below the meter and over top the lens. it’s plain to see how the the needle that is pushed by the selenium cell swings inside a cut-out in a plate that slides as the shutter release button is depressed. the plate traps the needle and locks it into place. this locks your exposure. in auto mode this is of course like ae lock and in manual mode, it just stops the needle in the finder from flitting about once you’ve honed in on something.<br>

<br /> <br /> at any rate, i came to adjust the rf. this was also very easy after doing a little research online.<br>

<br /> <br /> <img src="http://images42.fotki.com/v1375/photos/7/756795/6881541/Canonet02-vi.jpg" alt="" /><br /> <br /> c (tiny screw behind 2, a mirror) adjusts the vertical movement of the rf patch. a much bigger screw beneath that first diagonal glass on the left adjusts the focus. i grabbed a split screen nikon and sat on my back porch with the two cameras focusing on something at 3 feet, 5 feet, 10 feet and infinity until the canonet agreed with the nikon at all ranges. the vertical movement seems a bit off further away or closer up. i chose to error close up as i think this is where focusing will likely be more critical.<br>

<br /> <br /> i windexed all the glass surfaces inside the rf assembly with a q-tip and blew everything out with my rocket blower.<br>

<br /> <br /> when i was ready to put the top plate on, i noticed that the viewfinder window was lose and jiggled right out of the plastic bezel in the top plate. i chiseled out the old adhesive then carefully applied some pliobond with a tiny screwdriver to the bezel.<br>

<br /> <br /> that’s still drying and i had the spontaneous idea of using that screwdriver dipped sparingly in black nail polish (not going to go into why i had that on my desk!) to fill in spots in the black canon and canonet scripts that were worn shiny.<br>

<br /> <br /> when everything’s dry i’m going to windex all the glass in the top plate and blow out the camera’s internals once more. i can see an improvement in the brightness of the viewfinder for sure. i was afraid that cleaning wasn’t going to improve it much as things were just a little dusty but i guess when you’ve got light diffusing through all that glass, every bit helps!<br>

<br /> <br /> this inspires me to pull my old workhorse yashica m apart and clean and adjust its rf. that used to be my favourite camera until the rf became intolerable.</p>

<p>Great to see a detailed post on camera repair which is well illustrated and informative. The QL19 has always been one of my favorite rangefinders. Nice to see I can work on it if needed.</p>

<p>thanks russ, i have to admit that i stole the second photo from another website--i don't have a good digital camera and couldn't focus that closely. </p>

<p>at any rate, i've been inside a ql17 and i have to say those cameras are vastly different than these original canonets. this original canonet has ALOT of empty space under the top plate and componets are reasonably large and not crammed in tightly. the ql canonets are the exact opposite. when you pop the top off one of them (which itself is more labor intensive than the originals) the first thing you're greeted with is a mesh of metering electronics that you have to maneuver around without damaging. the rangefinder assembly is very similar but just tighter. </p>

<p>i love how small the ql canonets are though! they seem to sell for an arm and a leg nowadays compared to the original canonets but might be worth it!</p>

<p>Always happy to see another repair. "Keep 'em flying" was the WWII injunction.</p>

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<p>Thanks so much for this thread. I have a Canonet too and I just recently got it to work (shutter speeds and the meter are working). I then realized that the rangefinder was off and followed the instructions above. I'm not sure how accurate it is yet but now I know how to make the adjustments.</p>

<p>I also have the top caover off my 19. There is a piece I don't remember where it goes if you can help...</p>

<p>Brilliant !!! Exactly, what I needed now ... just, my Canonet ( 1961 model ) looks different somehow:<br>

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30634008@N08/sets/72157626346092800/<br>

Especially, the screw "c" is missing on my camera and the others seem to have slightly different functions too. Can you help me with that ? That would be very kind. I think, I need to adjust the rangefinder vertically and in focus as well.<br>

Thanks a lot and cheers from Tokyo,<br>

Berndt</p>